Idul Fitri holidaymakers hit the road once more
Idul Fitri holidaymakers hit the road once more
JAKARTA (JP): All major roads leading to Jakarta and other big
cities in Java were congested yesterday as millions of people
headed home from their villages after an extended Idul Fitri
holiday. The congestion is expected to peak today.
The situation was not as chaotic as last week's exodus which
saw a line of cars creeping slowly along a 150 kilometer stretch
of the Pantura highway along the northern coast of Java.
The police were out in full force to ensure order on the
roads. They directed all private vehicles away from Pantura onto
the southern route. The Pantura highway was reserved for buses
after the authorities decided that private cars were to blame for
last week's unprecedented jams.
A number of senior government officials, among them Minister
of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and Lt. Gen. Soeyono, the
Armed Forces' chief of general affairs, were on hand to
personally supervise the operation.
Most factories and private companies in and around Jakarta
have given their staff the week off, and expect them to return to
work tomorrow.
Lt. Gen. Soeyono, who monitored the roads from a helicopter,
told reporters that he believed the congestion yesterday was not
as bad as it might have been. "There were minor hitches,
particularly at the toll gates. If the cashiers could give change
quicker, then there wouldn't such long queues at the toll exits,"
he said.
Last week the government was forced to deploy more buses than
originally estimated because hundreds of buses were stranded in
the massive congestion as they attempted to return to Jakarta.
The situation was reversed yesterday. Dozens of empty buses
were sitting at Pulo Gadung and various other terminals in
Jakarta. An official at Pulo Gadung said the buses had been told
to head back to the villages, but the drivers refused to leave
without passengers.
Many bus operators have said that this year's Idul Fitri,
traditionally a very lucrative time, has been a nightmare with
many reporting huge losses because the massive congestion has cut
the number of trips each bus could make.
Minister Haryanto said he was determined to punish bus
companies which overcharged their passengers.
The government has allowed firms to increase their fares by
25% from the published rates but warned that those who exceeded
the limit would face sanctions, including the possibility of
losing their operating licenses.
Director General for Land Transportation Soejono said that he
already had the names of bus companies that violated the
regulations. Their names, including the punishment, would be
announced within the next 10 days.
Jakarta's six major railway stations -- Kota, Gambir, Tanjung
Priok, Manggarai, Pasar Senen and Jatinegara -- witnessed a more
orderly return of Idul Fitri revelers.
S. Haryono, an official of the state railway company Perumka,
said the peak is expected today.
There were also major preparations for the peak at Bakauheni
port in Sumatra and at Merak port in West Java for the
anticipated flood of people wanting to cross the Sunda Strait
between the two islands.
The Navy is reinforcing the ferry services by deploying two
warships to help transport some of the passengers.
The authorities in Serang, who oversee Merak port, have
prepared 840 buses for the weekend to take the arrivals to
Jakarta and other cities in Java.
Last weekend, at the peak of the exodus, the waiting time was
more than 24 hours and dozens of people collapsed as they jostled
their way onto the ferries. (emb/bsr/04)